Support device for plumb-line

ABSTRACT

A device for checking the verticality of a surface includes a plumb-bob attached to one end of a plumb-line, the opposite end of the plumb-line being attached to a case. The case has a through bore for the passage of the plumb-line and an external surface of the plumb-line is adapted to support the plumb-line wound on said external surface when the device is not in use.

C United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,766,659 Quenot Oct. 23, 1973 [54] SUPPORT DEVICE FOR PLUMB-LINE 19,817 3/1858 Rowe 33/210 831,104 9 1906 R b t 33 85 1 l I t Andre Quenot, 3688990", France 1,060,855 541913 1 12113: 33 2 17 I Assignee: Manufacture Quenot Mabo Besamon Franc? 6,501,601 8/1965 Netherlands 33 217 [22] Filed: Dec. 3, 1970 v Primary ExaminerRobert B. Hull [21] Appl' 94929 Assistant ExaminerCharles E. Phillips Attorney-Robert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 7 Dec. 4, 1969 France 6941884 [57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 33/392 A device for checking the verticality of a surface in- [51] 9 15/ cludes a plumb-bob attached to one end of a plumb- [58] Field of Search 33/216, 2l7, 85 line, th opposite end of the plumb-line being attached /210 to a case. The case has a through bore for the passage v of the plumb-line and an external surface of the [56] References Cited plumb-line is adapted to support the plumb-line UNITED STATES PATENTS wound on said external surface when the device is not 1,745,027 1 1930 Oxford 33 216 2,499,722 3 1950 Chesbro 33 217 2,491,334 12/1949 Reeves 33/216 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED UN 2 3 I975 FIG. 2

wound thereon when the device is not in use.

SUPPORT DEVICE FOR PLUMB-LINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to devices for checking the verticality of surfaces and in particular to devices including plumb-lines.

Devices are known, which include a casing for engaging a surface whose verticality is to be checked. The casing is a simple metallic plate having a central orifice which guides a plumb-line depending therefrom. When the checking verticality has been completed, the mason or user winds the plumb-line, for example, around his hand, in a braid which he must unwind for the next checking operation.

During the building of a wall of brick or agglomerate, the user applies a bearing surface of the casing against the upper brick or agglomerate and checks the verticality of the wall by seeing if a plumb-bob attached to the bottom end of the plumb-line is in contact against the lower brick and afterwards if there is an equal distance between the plumb-line and each of the superposed bricks. v

During this operation, the user cannot check if every brick is superimposed, and in particular, if the upper brick, is in a perfect vertical position or if the interposition of mortar has not caused a slight inclination of the upper brick. This disadvantage is caused by the reduced thickness of the upper face and by the'impossibility of checking the verticality of the face of the bearing surface placed against the upper brick.

In French Pat. application No. 158746 a devicefo checking verticality is disclosed -in which a casing ineludes an important bearing surface and a spirit level positioned on the case in a perpendicular direction to the bearing surface in order to check the verticality of the element of the surface against which the casing engages during its use. The case includes linewinding means constituted by a drum operated by a crank. This known device having the plumb-line inside the case has many drawbacks. For example, it is slow to use, is a complicated mechanism, and is relatively easily damaged.

AIMS OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a device for checking the verticality of surfaces and which is light, simple to use, has a sturdy construction suitable for building sites and which allows the winding of the plumb-line in an easy manner so as to avoid any tangles in the line.

According to the invention, a device for'checking the verticality of a surface, comprising a plumb-bob attached to one end of a plumb-line, the opposite end of the plumb-line being attached to a case, the case having a through bore for the passage of the plumb-line through the case, a portion of the external surface of the case being adapted to support the plumbline DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to the Figures of the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a device for checking the verticality of a surface;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an elevation of another embodiment of a device for checking the verticality of a surface according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a device for checking the verticality of a surface comprises a case 1, for example, of a prismatic shape having a large planar bearing surface 2 for engaging and abutting against a surface of a wall whose verticality is to be checked, and an upper surface 3 perpendicular to the surface 2. A plumb-line 4 is connected at one end to the case and by the opposite end to a metallic plumb-bob 5 of any prismatic or circular shape. The transverse dimension or width of the plumb-bob 5 is arranged so that the distance from the center line to the outside periphery of the plumbbob is equal to the distance between the centre line and the outside periphery of the case.

The case has a central through bore or opening 6 for the passage of the plumb-line 4 therethrough. The case is hollow and defines a chamber 7 open at one end for receiving the plumb-bob 5 when the device is not being used. h

In its nonworking state, the plumb-bob 5 is received in the chamber 7 while the plumb-line 4 extends through the bore 6 outwardly from the surface 3 and is held in a notch 8 and then wound around the case which acts as a spool for the plumb-line 4 (as seen in FIG. 1).

. A set of angularly arranged recesses 9 and 10 are pro vided around the case as shown inFIG. '1 around which the plumb-line 4 can be wound. The end of the wound plumb-line 4 can be maintained in a notch 11 symmetricallypositioned with respect to notch 8.

In operation, the plumb-line 4 is freed from the notch 11 and unwound from the outer surface of the case and then the line is freed from the notch 8 in order to permit the line to pass through the orifice 6 and depend from the case. The distance of the plumb-bob 5 from the case is then adjusted and the line is then maintained by wedging in a notch 18 provided in the lower part of the case on the opposite face to that of the support face in order not to unbalance the device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the distance between the centre of the plumb-bob and its external periphery and the centre of the case and its periphery is equal to L. In order to check the verticality of a surface this distance L must be constant between the surface and the plumbline 4. A spirit level 17 is shown in FIG. 2 on the surface 3 which is perpendicular to the bearing surface 2 and this spirit level enablesthe verticality of a particular element on which the bearing surface engages to be checked.

Magnetic means, for example, a magnetic sole 15 are provided for attaching the'device to a ferrous metal. The case can also be provided with means, for example, hole 16 for receiving the shank of a nail or screw.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a device for checking the verticality of a surface is similar to that disclosed and described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 but the case has a circular section 1 rims 12 and 13 and a portion having a frustoconical surface which acts as a winding spool for the plumb-line 4 the set of recesses in this embodiment comprising the one recess defined as the frusto-conical surface between the rims 12 and 13A.

What is' claimed is:

1. A device for checking the verticality of a surface comprising; a plumb-bob having a maximum transverse width; a casing having an external bearing surface portion abuttable against a planar surface whose verticality is to be checked during use of the device and having means therein defining an open-ended chamber configured to receive therein said plumb-bob during nonuse of the device; means defining an opening extending through said casing a predeterminednormal distance away from said external bearing surface portion equal to one-half said maximum transverse width and aligned with the center of said plumb-bob both during use of the device and during nonuse of the device when said plumb-bob is received within said chamber and extending through said casing into said chamber at a location opposite the open end of said chamber; a plumb-line slidably extending through said opening end connected at one end to said plumb-bob and connected at the other end to said casing; and means on the exterior of said casing for receiving therearound in a wound condition said plumb-line when said plumb-bob is received within said chamber during nonuse of the device comprising means defining a set of recesses on the periphery of said casing.

2. A device according to claim 1; including means defining a notch in said casing dimensioned to receive therein and releasably engage with said plumb-line.

3. A device according to claim 1; wherein said openended chamber has a truncated cone configuration with said opening extending through the smaller end of the cone and the larger end of the cone being open; and wherein said plumb-bob has a complementary truncated cone configuration.

4. A device according to claim 1; including magnetic means on said external bearing surface portion for magnetically attaching the device to a magnetic surface.

5. A device according to claim 1; including levelindicating means mounted on said casing operative to indicate when the device is level with the plane of the horizon. 

1. A device for checking the verticality of a surface comprising; a plumb-bob having a maximum transverse width; a casing having an external bearing surface portion abuttable against a planar surface whose verticality is to be checked during use of the device and having means therein defining an open-ended chamber configured to receive therein said plumb-bob during nonuse of the device; means defining an opening extending through said casing a predetermined normal distance away from said external bearing surface portion equal to one-half said maximum transverse width and aligned with the center of said plumb-bob both during use of the device and during nonuse of the dEvice when said plumb-bob is received within said chamber and extending through said casing into said chamber at a location opposite the open end of said chamber; a plumb-line slidably extending through said opening end connected at one end to said plumb-bob and connected at the other end to said casing; and means on the exterior of said casing for receiving therearound in a wound condition said plumb-line when said plumb-bob is received within said chamber during nonuse of the device comprising means defining a set of recesses on the periphery of said casing.
 2. A device according to claim 1; including means defining a notch in said casing dimensioned to receive therein and releasably engage with said plumb-line.
 3. A device according to claim 1; wherein said open-ended chamber has a truncated cone configuration with said opening extending through the smaller end of the cone and the larger end of the cone being open; and wherein said plumb-bob has a complementary truncated cone configuration.
 4. A device according to claim 1; including magnetic means on said external bearing surface portion for magnetically attaching the device to a magnetic surface.
 5. A device according to claim 1; including level-indicating means mounted on said casing operative to indicate when the device is level with the plane of the horizon. 